FORUMS FORUMS






RLFANS.COM
Celebrating
25 years service to
the Rugby League
Community!

  

The race for leagues positions across the Betfred leagues enters round seventeen for Super League,  round sixteen for the Championship and round twelve for Championship One.  There are nineteen fixtures over the weekend kicking off with tonight’s visit of an embattled Wigan Warriors to Wakefield Trinity.

There are four fixtures on Friday night with Hull FC v. Salford Red Devils, Leeds Rhinos v. Huddersfield Giants, Warrington Wolves v. Castleford Tigers and St Helens v. Hull KR while the Catalans Dragons and Widnes Vikings meet on Saturday tea time.

With Saints running away with the Super League the big interest is in which sides will make the top eight, and which four sides from the Championship will be joining the bottom four from Super League in the dreaded middle eights.

A home victory for Wakefield could lift them above the Leeds Rhinos (depending on the result at Headingley) and after a weekend off, coach Chris Chester makes just one change with Matty Ashurst replacing Chris Annakin. After their cup exit to the Warrington Wolves current Wigan coach Sean Wane makes two changes to his side as he replaces Ryan Sutton(knee problem) and Joel Tomkins (much publicised club discipline issue) with Dan Sarginson and Gabe Hamlin. The Warriors are the favourites to halt a two game losing streak.

Hull FC have been licking their wounds after they lost out narrowly to Saints in the cup and they will be wondering when their injury and disciplinary luck will change.  The latest losses to the squad are Danny Houghton, Sika Manu and Dean Hadley who all sustained injuries last week but as a small crumb of comfort they do welcome back Joe Westerman with Liam Harris, Jack Downs and Cameron Scott named in the squad.  Salford coach Ian Watson is able to name Josh Jones for the first time in two months and Kris Welham is also a welcome return. You can get good odds on a Salford win with FC as massive favourites as they push for the top four.

Leeds Rhinos are another side with big injury problems but they do have Liam Sutcliffe and Mitch Garbutt back in their side. The cost is Jimmy Keinhorst and Carl Ablett who have both failed to overcome injuries picked up in the big cup quarter final win over the Leigh Centurions.  Matt Parcell is also a doubt after sustaining concussion but the Rhinos are hopeful that he will be cleared to play. The Giants are once again without the services of Danny Brough who picked up another suspension from the mid-week disciplinary committee. Also missing are Jake Mamo and Oliver Roberts with Michael Lawrence, Innes Senior and Oliver Russell in the nineteen.  Leeds are hot favourites to record back-to-back wins.

On paper, the game of the round is Warrington Wolves v. Castleford Tigers as third play fourth. Coach Price has the luxury of naming an unchanged squad from the side which humiliated the Warriors last weekend as they look to consolidate their top four spot and put more distance between themselves and the chasing pack. Daryl Powell has been forced into three changes of the visitors with Liam Watts and Jamie Ellis both injured and Tuoyo Egodo dropped from the side. Greg Minikin returns from injury and new signings Mitch Clark and Quentin Laulu-Togaga’e could both make their first appearances. It’s the Wolves who the bookies fancy to continue their tremendous recent form and pick up the win.

Fridays final game pitches the Champions elect, St Helens, against a side who are seemingly destined for the middle eights, Hull KR. Saints have made just one change bringing in Matty Lees to replace Adam Swift while Tim Sheens rings the changes for the Robins with Josh Johnson,  Matty Marsh and Elliot Wallis all in the squad. Aaron Smith is ineligible to play as a Saints loan player and Kieren Moss and Will Dagger are the other two absentees. Bookies and pundits alike see only one winner of this one.

The final game of the weekend is played on Saturday late afternoon when Widnes Vikings travel to the Catalans Dragons without coach Denis Betts.  Widnes could have Weller Hauraki in their line up after signing him on loan from the Red Devils during in the week. The Dragons are strong favourites with the bookies after their recent turnaround in form as they push to make the top eight.

The two Championship expansion clubs play on Saturday with Toulouse v. Batley at 14:00 and Toronto v. London at 21:30. The remaining games are all played on Sunday afternoon as; Barrow welcome Rochdale, Dewsbury entertain Featherstone, Leigh take on Halifax in a real four pointer and Sheffield are at home to Swinton.

The Championship One games are played over Saturday and Sunday, all with 15:00 kick-offs, as follows;

Saturday

Bradford Bulls v. North Wales Crusaders

London Skolars v. Hunslet

West Wales Raiders v. Hemel Stags

Sunday

Coventry Bears v. Oldham

Doncaster v. Keighley Cougars

Newcastle Thunder v. Whitehaven

York City Knights v. Workington Town

 

Wherever you watch your rugby this weekend, enjoy!



facebook sharing button
twitter sharing button
pinterest sharing button
email sharing button
sharethis sharing button


Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Thu 7th Jun 2018 8:42 AM | Views : 61615 | Replies : 0 | BACK TO STORIES
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
0m
Game - Song Titles
Boss Hog
34278
12m
TV games not Wire
Wanderer
2863
12m
York - 14th April
Prince Buste
7
15m
BORED The Band Name Game
Wanderer
55995
16m
TV Games - Not Hull
Chris71
1385
26m
Rd 6 I Cas A
MrPotatoHead
96
33m
The Good Friday Derby Massacre
Steve0
133
34m
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhinos Go Level Top
RLFANS News
1
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
42s
Smith - should he stay or should he go
Tarquin Fueg
355
43s
The Bulls away
terry silver
9
1m
The Good Friday Derby Massacre
Steve0
133
1m
Squad for Catalan
Smiffy27
17
1m
Saints a
WWste
23
1m
Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4
Jack Burton
8703
1m
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhinos Go Level Top
RLFANS News
1
2m
Fevround 2
BarnsleyTrin
90
2m
TV games not Wire
Wanderer
2863
2m
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Smiffy27
18
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhinos Go Level Top
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
York - 14th April
Prince Buste
7
TODAY
Stats article
Sir Gregory
5
TODAY
21 man Squads - Devils v Leopards
Cokey
4
TODAY
Squad for Catalan
Smiffy27
17
TODAY
The Wigan Way - New Podcast - Chairman Special
Jukesays
1
TODAY
Dons v Swinton Lions 30 June 2024
Wanderer
1
TODAY
Squad for Sheffield
AdamH
1
TODAY
London Away
Fartown58
1
TODAY
The Bulls away
terry silver
9
TODAY
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Smiffy27
18
TODAY
Saints a
WWste
23
TODAY
Leon Ruan signs on loan
Jemmo
2
TODAY
Wardle
Jo Jumbuck
3
TODAY
Huddersfield - Home
Fartown58
6
TODAY
Max Wood on loan to Bradford 2 weeks
rubber ducki
7
TODAY
Jake Wardle 5 Year deal
Zig
22
TODAY
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
PopTart
27
TODAY
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangements
RLFANS News
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhino..
63
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangeme..
527
2024 Challenge Cup Quarter Fin..
649
Easy Does It For The Dragons A..
566
Warrington Demolish London For..
673
Leigh Leopards Beat Plucky Fea..
717
Saints Triumph Over Disappoint..
698
Easy Win for the Wolves Over L..
941
Dragons Condemn Castleford To ..
913
Leigh Leopards Secure First Po..
1058
St Helens Tame The Rhinos To W..
1034
Wigan Warriors Come From Behin..
1097
Betfred Championship and Leagu..
1073
2024 Challenge Cup Sixth Round..
3852
Featherstone Win Extra Time Cu..
1193
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Table 'boards.stats_fixtures' doesn't exist